Commission votes down plan for hotel

The next time the proposal for a hotel whose construction would demolish seven homes in downtown St. Augustine comes up, it will likely be in a courtroom.

St. Augustine City Commissioners voted unanimously Monday to uphold the Historic Architecture Review Board's denial of the demolitions, which are necessary to construct the hotel. And they also turned down the request of a Planned Unit Development for the project.

But this isn't the last the city will hear of the hotel, said Jerry Dixon, the project architect.

"After tonight, there's no holding back. We'll take it to court and it will cost the city millions," he said. "It's a property rights issue. We will win."

Property owner Donna Wendler requested to demolish the seven homes on King and Oviedo streets to make way for an 80-room hotel.

Wendler has said she needs to demolish the homes because of economic hardship from rising cost in taxes and insurance. It would also take an enormous amount of money to bring the homes up to city code, Dixon said.

The commission acted as an appellate court and reviewed the Architecture Review Board's decision without allowing public comment or any new details on the project.

Commissioner Don Crichlow said the Review Board had two questions to answer: if the demolitions would be detrimental to the city, and if there was unreasonable economic hardship to renovate the homes.

"They said, yes, it's detrimental and no it's not unreasonable in terms of cost," Crichlow said. "I cannot see that they erred in that decision based upon the evidence provided."

The other commissioners agreed and there was little comment further.

The commission then listened to an hour-long presentation of the proposed hotel for a request of a Planned Unit Development.

The commission then took public comment for more than an hour, with most speaking against the hotel plan.

"I work for a developer and I'm married to an architect. I'm not against change, but I'm against this project," said Cathi Oakes, president the Flagler Model Land Neighborhood Association. "Mrs. Wendler's not without options for her investment."

There were some supporters of the project in the audience who wore stickers of a drawing of the hotel that read below it, "I support the King Street Art Boutique Hotel."

"If these houses, which aren't in great shape and need help, if they aren't used for a hotel that would bring in tourists and be an asset to the city, then what will they be used for?" Judith Seraphin said. "No one has answered that question."

The development would back up to residential homes, and Mayor Joe Boles said he didn't believe the development was worth the erosion of the neighborhood's character.

"For the life of me I cannot justify the intrusion on this residential neighborhood," he said.

Commissioner Errol Jones said he was against the project, but wasn't sure it would win in court.

"If we lose in the final analysis then we have to pay the bill. We'll have to pay by collecting from each and every one of you", he said speaking to public sitting in City Hall. "The money will come from you all and every one of the commissioners up here because the city won't have the money to pay it."